NFL Scouts Compare Caleb Williams to 'Peak-Era' Aaron Rodgers over Patrick Mahomes

Teams off to a slow start to the 2023 NFL season have one thing to look forward to: next spring's draft.

That's when they could get a shot at projected No. 1 pick USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams, who one AFC regional scout described as a player similar to "peak-era Aaron Rodgers," according to ESPN's Matt Miller.

"To me, he's peak-era Aaron Rodgers," the scout said. "The way he moves in the pocket to create passing windows and then, boom, he's thrown a no-looker across his body or a deep ball that looked impossible."

Another AFC scout echoed that comparison, according to Miller.

"When everyone said Mahomes, I said young Aaron Rodgers," the other scout said. "Just Google 2008-2012 Rodgers highlights. It's awesome. And it looks just like Williams."

Rodgers led the Green Bay Packers to a 14-1 record in 2011 as he racked up a career-high 4,643 yards in a MVP season ranked by ESPN's Aaron Schatz as one of the best by a quarterback in the modern NFL.

Williams had a similarly historic Heisman Trophy campaign for USC in 2022, when he threw for a school-record 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns. Based on Williams' highlight-studded tape, scouts expect he will be able to recreate that success at the NFL level in the near future.